The Final Straw
by KuroNeko-Alice
Summary: In the land of Panem, something big is about to happen. The first Quarter Quell. Most districts are already rebelling, they just need a good time to strike. The Hunger Games. But for the unsure districts, will this years game be The Final Straw? AU, can also be considered a crossover with Hunger Games. Character Death.
1. Prologue

**A/N:This is my first story, and I hope you read all the way through this chapter before you decide whether you like it or not. It might be long, but it's my writing style. **

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN GAKUEN ALICE OR VOCALOID! (Damn do I wish I did, though)**

_And you can take the one thing I have left_

_I'd give it all away for so much less_

_Could even take the heart inside my chest_

_Woah, woah_

_And you can take the one thing I have left_

_Beat me to the ground and take my breath_

_But you can't take who I am_

_Woah, woah_

_-The One Thing I Have Left by Hawk Nelson_

In a snowstorm, a man walked steadily towards his destination. He huffed as he breathed, more often than not brushing his dark hair out of his eyes. He was in a forest, one he had been travelling in for days, maybe weeks now. Sometimes he had almost looked over his shoulder, but just one longing look towards his home would weaken his resolve, and that wasn't allowed. His task was much more important, more important than one man's life. He had to get there and get there soon; his supplies were running dangerously low.

Finally, through the whirlwind of snow, he could make out the shadow of a building. When he passed the fence bordering the forest, it was like he had walked past an invisible barrier. The snowstorm stopped around him, and he let out a soft sigh of relief. Then, he observed his surroundings.

He was in a small city, a town, perhaps. Three inches of snow layering the ground, and there was some activity around him. In the distance he could see windmills, thousands of them dotting the horizon, and rivers with water wheels all around. He had heard of what it looked like, but it was still astonishing. The houses were made of different types of stone: cobblestone, marble, cement, and even some brick houses, like the ones at home.

When he stepped out of the blurred snowstorm zone, the activity slowly died down. The people who lived here knew what this meant. The fact that a man who was so obviously not from there meant change, and change was what most of the people were afraid of. His dark hair and olive skin was odd, never seen before by the townspeople- unless you counted that. And no one ever did. The children, who were curious, went to the stranger to investigate, until they were dragged into their houses by their parents. Quickly, the area emptied until only the man, a little old woman, and a young girl who clung to her stood alone. Just as the children before her, the young girl with flaming red hair and bright green eyes released her grandmother and scampered up to the man. Though the top of her head only reached his hips, she still stared straight up at him with no fear at all. He stared back, bemused.

"I'm Nenny," the girl's loud voice pierced the silence, her breath fogging instantly. "What's your name? Who are you? Why are you in district 5? What district are you from? Why do you look weird?" She took a breath to continue, but was stopped by her grandmother's voice.

"Nenny, hush," The wizened old woman's voice was quiet, but clear through the silence. Her gaze, as green as her descendant's, turned to the man. "He must be frozen stiff, and he probably needs a place to rest." She turned away, towards a brick house, and her words indicated that the two should not hesitate to follow her. When inside, he was given a heavy coat, gloves, a scarf, and a hat. "Is this all right?" She asked, and he nodded.

"Thank you very much, madam," he muttered, and she nodded back at him in reply. She called to Nenny to fetch some stew, then waited until they faintly heard the door close.

"So, it's finally time for you to recruit district 5 in your rebellion plan, is it?" The man hesitated, and then nodded. "As you can see, our district isn't as willing as you'd hoped. Early February isn't the best time to come calling." She sighed and sat down on an armchair. Hesitatingly, he sat across her on a couch. "Young man, this is where you explain yourself." He slowly nodded, then spoke in a rough, gravelly voice, a voice that did not seemingly match his age.

"My name-" He stopped, and then cleared his throat. He hadn't spoken in weeks, after all. "My name is Samuel. I come from the group of rebels in my district, and I was sent here to convince 5 to join as well. It's true that I'm not exactly thrilled at the reaction of your district, but it's understandable. To answer your question, I came at this time of year because I needed cover in the forest. I didn't want to be caught before I'd even gotten close to my destination. If I'd been caught, I would've been killed, or worse- been taken to the capitol and become an avox." He didn't voice the unmentionable, but it was understood nonetheless.

"You have a family waiting for you?" She inquired, her voice gentle. He had been staring at his hands, but he glanced up quickly then back down at this point.

"Yes." His voice was almost inaudible, "my wife and son will be waiting for along time." His voice nearly broke at the truth of it, and they both knew it. The second he had left his district with an off-limits place his destination, he knew he would never see his family again. As their conversation dropped off and hung in silence, they heard the howl of a wolf… a wolf that seemed to be much too close for comfort. Instinctively, Samuel shot to his feet, and stalked outside without thinking. It was the first time he noticed that the old woman's house was on a hill, and behind the hill there was a ledge, jutting out and undeniably large. The ledge was about 2 stories higher than the top of the house, and the platform it created was obscured by mist.

"Ah, that ledge is quite special, you know." He jumped, then settled when he saw it was just the old lady standing in the doorway. "My grandmother used to tell me how people of this district would be able to see apparitions, but that line has dwindled as of late. The only person I know of the youngest generation that can see the apparitions is my Nenny. She's quite fond of naming them, you know. She named the black one Zigor, and the white one Abertha." She trailed off as her eyes focused past Samuel's shoulder. "The brown one, Emese, is one that I named. I haven't seen that one for a long time." His eyes widened and he slowly turned to face the ledge again.

Staring straight back at him was the strangest and yet most terrifying sight any one person could imagine. To the left stood a great black wolf, but it was larger than possible. Just by standing, the wolf was as large as a car. For some reason, just by looking at it, Samuel could tell this Zigor was a male. On the right crouched a white wolf, slightly smaller than Zigor, but not any less deadly-looking. The man knew that the Abertha he was looking at could be terrifying just by herself. In the middle, though, stood a monstrous creature. It was most obviously a grizzly bear, but even with the distance, Emese, the grizzly, looked as large as a bus. For some reason, Samuel felt no fear as he stared at these predators. All he felt was perplexed, as if his mind was trying to remember something that it had never learned, or that it was trying to understand something as complicated as the heart's thoughts. In all three of the mammal's eyes was an unplaceable emotion. Was it sadness? Yes, that was there, along with pity and suffering. Samuel realized that the emotions weren't unplaceable, just not directed at him. As if the animals were staring through him at something else.

"I never finished telling you about the legend." The woman's voice broke through his thoughts. "My grandmother told me this 'Imagine the danger, the real danger, of those animals attacking. This gift you have tells you something, something the whole village needs. It warns you of danger, for the equivalent of danger of those animals attacking is coming. Coming as you see them.'" Samuel turned quickly, immediately aware of what she was saying.

"Grandma!" Nenny's voice suddenly called, coming nearer. "They're coming grandma! Lot's of 'em! Peacekeepers!" When she came into view, the old woman called for her to hide inside. When she protested, the old woman insisted, and Nenny retreated. The elder turned towards the agitated Samuel.

"Young man, I am sorry that you will never see your family again. I'm sure this must be terrible for you. Rest assured that, whatever happens, my people will see it, and they will not leave the call of suffering unanswered." Then she retreated into the house, leaving the man standing alone, with his mission finally accomplished. He walked into the middle of the square, so as to draw the approaching "keepers of the peace's" attention away. They came into view, the lot of them, and he saw that one man was in the front. They surrounded him, and he made no move to resist.

"We came here expecting a rebellion crowd to be forming, but all we find is the traitorous runaway?" The head peacekeeper spoke, shaking his head as if he was sympathetic. "How sad, that no one would even stop to listen to you." Samuel glared at the man, and the peacekeeper nodded curtly and started reading his rights. "Samuel… no-last-name." He stopped, then looked at him. "The runaway doesn't even have a last name? How sad. Samuel No-last-name, you are hereby accused of escaping your district, trespassing into another, and trying to cause a commotion. Your punishment is death. That's all." The peacekeeper stared at him. "You know, I was astonished to find that light of penalty, so I did some research. You have been the husband of Leticia Marcs for four years, and father of a 3-year-old son, both of whom are waiting back at home. It certainly wasn't the answer I expected, you know." The peacekeeper raised his gun in his right hand, and raised an empty left hand, indicating the rest of the peacekeepers were no longer needed. It didn't matter to Samuel, he was dead anyway. The peacekeeper walked towards him, staring him straight in the eye, until he was only an arm's length away and the pistol was pressed against Samuel's temple.

"You know," the peacekeeper said softly, staying eye-to-eye with Samuel, "I have a wife and kids at home, too. More kids then I can count, though, and I'm sure there's more to come. Doesn't that make my coming home more important than yours?" But it didn't, because the look in the cruel man's eyes said so much more. No love for his family, no desperation for understanding, not even the resigned look of someone who's given up. The only emotion in his eyes were lust for blood, and anticipation for his hands to be dyed, once again, in the thick red liquid. And Samuel hated him for it. As the man pulled the trigger, Samuel's last thoughts were 'I love you, and I'm sorry…"

**A/N I've been planning this story for awhile now, and I've finally finished the Prologue! Now, if you've read this all the way through, you'll probably have loads of questions. I'm sorry to say, most of them I won't answer, but that's mainly because it'll take a lot of fun out of it!**

**Questions I won't answer: What district Samuel's from, his son's name, his last name (yes, he does have a last name), and maybe some others... **

**No, the old woman and little Nenny will not be a part of the main story line. And the names of the wolves and the bear mean:**

**Zigor: means 'punishment' in Basque**

**Abertha: means 'sacrifice' in Welsh**

**Emese: means 'mother' in Hungarian. The bear, I should've mentioned, but I was planning on making her a mama bear. Sure she's an apparition, but she represents 'mother'. And yes, the names and their meanings are important. It's kinda like a prophecy. **

**So anyway, if you have any questions that you're not sure whether I'll answer or not, reveiw! If you don't have a question, review! It'll make me nervous to see all the viewers and no comments!**


	2. The Reminder

**A/N: Okay, guys. Second chapter, and I hope you like it. The main story takes place eight years after the prologue, so consider this '8 years later'**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice, Vocaloid, or Hunger Games.**

* * *

The rebels had been planning this attack for years, spending their time recruiting more and more allies. Already, Districts 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 were openly against the Capitol. All they needed was a bit more time and evidence to convince the rest of the Districts. It was decided that the best time for the upsurge rebellion was during the games, when the people of the Capitol's attention were solely focused on their T.V. screens. It had been known for months now, who would be the distractions, the martyrs; unlikely to be spared in the onslaught and at the mercy of the enemy when the rebels attacked. The tributes. And the Districts hated the Capitol that much more for it.

**~Real Time~**

_In, 24 hours they'll be laying flowers on my life, It's over tonight_

_I'm not messing, no I, need your, blessing, and your promise to live free_

_Please do it, for me_

_-24 by Jem_

All around Panem, televisions flicker to life. It is sudden, and startles many. Some wonder what it means, as others sit down to watch the program that wouldn't turn off. A man, familiar from the games as interviewer, appears on the screen and speaks in a cheerful voice.

"I hope you all haven't forgotten! This year is the mark of the twenty-fifth Hunger Games, which means..." the unseen audience fills in the answer for him.

"The first Quarter Quell!" The screams and cheers of the mob behind the cameras quickly catch the attention of the viewers. Shock registers on more faces than possible to count. They had forgotten. The stage where their children's blood fell would now have a special rule. Faces tighten in hostility as another man takes the previously occupied podium. A man who went by the name of President Kuonji, the bringer of hatred and violence. Behind him, a younger man, a boy really, dressed in a white suit follows him carrying a simple wooden box. The anthem of Panem ends, and Kuonji begins to speak.

He starts with the Dark Days, the reason the Hunger Games were created in the first place. When the way the Games would be played were decided, it was decreed that every twenty-five years would call for a specialized version of the killing games to remind the people of Panem of those killed during the Districts' rebellion.

Thousands of people watched in disbelief. How in the world would adding special rules to the horrors dissuade people from rebelling? Those who did not watch the president in hostility watched in fear. What was going to happen? What should they expect?

"We finally honor our first Quarter Quell," says the president. The boy holds out the box, and Kuonji opens the lid. The onlookers see envelopes, meant for centuries of Hunger Games, but they wouldn't allow it. The president removes an aged envelope clearly marked 25, and opens it, removing a small square of paper.

"..." The audience and onlookers watch with bated breath.

"On the twenty-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that they forced brother to fight against brother in the first rebellion, the tributes from each district must be relatives." A horrified silence hung heavy in the house of every citizen of every district. '_No. This cannot be happening. They wouldn't do something so cruel.'_ Even the rebels' minds cried out in disbelief. Then, the reality of the situation hit home. Brother against sister. Niece against uncle. Nephew against aunt. Cousin against cousin. The tributes would have to watch their own family members be murdered, right in front of their very eyes. The man who had started the television broadcast took the now empty podium.

"As a reminder that the rebels are only making the situation worse for all districts, President Kuonji has made another change to the age limit." Once again, the rebels froze, unable to turn their gaze away from their televisions. Eight years ago was the fist time Kuonji had changed the age limit. Two years later, he'd changed it again. Another two years passed, and again. But two years passed and no such announcement had been made. They had thought he'd let them by. The last time he had changed it was now now three years ago. So he was changing it again.

"First, the age limit has dropped another year. The Games are now open to children from eight to eighteen years of age." He paused to give time for that to sink in. "Second, I will explain how the reaping will be done tomorrow. (A/N: Yes, I know that in the real series this was announced months before the reaping.) There will be one ball instead of two, and it will have every name that meets the requirements inside. On the back of each paper will be the names of the relatives, who are of the opposite gender of the child chosen, that are of age. The names on the back are just to ensure honesty, for the relative accompanying will be decided on by said child's parent. If there is only one potential companion available, so it shall be them. It is also accepted that any legible relative can volunteer to be the companion, in which case the parent need not choose. That is all." And each screen across the country went black.

~District _~

A girl with pink hair smiled at the man beside her. He stood a head taller than her, with long, purple hair tied into a ponytail.

"We'll be safe, right cousin?" The man nodded, and they walked off as if nothing had been shown, no monstrosity had occurred. They assumed they were safe, because their district wasn't a rebel one. How wrong they were, to think they were safe.

~District _~

A young girl, barely a teen, sat with her her arms crossed and a scowl directed at the now blank screen. Next to her sat a young adult man, with strawberry-blonde hair that reached his shoulders and green eyes.

"What is the old coot playing at?" The girl demanded, flipping her black hair. "It's almost like he's asking the districts that are still faithful to his cause to join the rebels!" The man shrugged.

"I don't care, so long as I'm not a tribute, and that's not gonna happen." He replied, and she nodded in agreement.

~District _~

"So what did you think of the broadcast?" A young man asked his friends. They all seemed to be caught off-guard, except for one who shrugged.

"Who cares? It's not like our opinions matter, anyway. All I care about is the rebellion that's coming up in, like, a week!" He was hushed by his friends, "Sorry."

"Oh idiot nephew of mine!" A monotonous voice called toward the group of boys, "Hurry up, your mom's having hysterics! We need to calm her down, don't we?" Under the sarcasm was a threat, and the boy who had said he didn't care gulped, and ran toward his aunt.

"Coming!"

~District _~

In a large building where all the children of the district worked, they had stopped to huddle together and whisper conversations to each other.

"Who do you think will be chosen?"

"It has to be one of us, we're all the people in this district who are in the age group."

"Oh, I hope it's not me."

"Of course it won't be you, stupid! You're an only child!"

"But my aunt's of age, she's just sick right now. You know, Meiko?" A hush fell, and all the children with relatives huddled close to each other. Sister with brother, uncle with niece, nephew with aunt, cousin with cousin. They temporarily forgot the cooties virus going on, just to warm up the shiver passing through. A pair blondes, twins, grabbed each others' hand and pressed as close as possible to each other, feeling something that they were undoubtedly afraid of. A certainty that it would be them.

~District _~

A girl with unruly, shoulder length blue hair sobbed as her siblings sobbed: loud and wet. They huddled together in a clump, trying to warm themselves as a blast of cold air invaded the house, but it was not for that they sobbed. A man enveloped them all in a warm hug.

"Calm down." he stated, but their bodies refused to listen. "Calm down," he repeated, "crying won't solve anything." And they slowly ceased, clinging to the large man. It might've been comical, two girls and a boy ranging from the ages of thirteen to nine clinging to a man much larger than them, but it wasn't. For they were scared out of their minds.

"Uncle Serio..." The boy whispered, containing his tears. "Promise you won't let me go. I don't want to be a tribute." The big man looked his nine-year-old nephew in the eye, and said "I promise. Now hush." And they stayed in each other's embrace for a long time after.

~District _~

Four people were frozen to the couch, unbelieving. Two adults, and two teenagers. The smaller teenager, a girl with long cyan hair in two pigtails, sobbed and clung to her older brother, a more muscular boy with blue hair.

"Calm down," he said, patting her head. "We won't know who goes until tomorrow, and if we are chosen, we'll be together." The girl calmed down, and the parents got up from the couch and hugged their children.

~District _~

Two adults thundered into their house out of breath, and took in the scene before them. An older teenager sits on a chair, writing a thesis for school, and a girl, almost but not quite a teen, sitting on the floor on the other side of the room reading a book. The same thing the couple's children had been doing when they left for work.

"Didn't you two see the announcement?" The father broke the silence, and both parents glanced at their television. Their hopes were dashed when their daughter answered.

"Of course we did, father." She spoke crisply and monotonously. "What, did you think that we'd be crying our eyes out and hugging each other?" Her usual flat voice dripped in sarcasm, and the adults flinched. That was exactly what they had thought they would find. The teenage boy sighed in annoyance and brushed back his black hair.

"Well, we're not and never will be caught dead doing that, so would you please keep it down? I'm trying to work on an assignment here," and turned his attention back to his paper. The parents glanced at their daughter, who had already went back to reading, with her short black hair obscuring her face, and sighed, retreating from the room. When they had heard about the broadcast from one of their co-worker's hysterical children, they had come rushing back in hopes of being allowed to act like parents. It seems that they were mistaken.

~District _~

"Sister..." a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes started hesitatingly, clutching his pet rabbit closer. In front of him was the open doorway of a wooden building, and inside was a girl with dirty blonde hair. When she heard him, his voice filled with fear, she dropped what she was doing quickly and spun on her heel to face him.

"What's wrong?" She questioned, her loud voice laced with worry. She walked quickly towards him, covering the distance and putting her hands on his shoulders, staring straight into his eyes. Confused blue eyes met frightened ones, and the rabbit hopped out of his arms as he threw them around his older sister. She hugged him back, confused.

"Sshhh... Whatever it is, it's gonna be okay. Nothing's gonna hurt you..." She tried to calm him down, but he only shook his head and held her closer, crying. She was confused, but her friends Kaitlyn and Kaitlyn's uncle Matthew (he's only a year older than her) skidded to a stop in front of the building she was in. Matt's usual tendency to be annoyingly invasive towards his niece was seemingly forgotten, and they seemed scared stiff. In fact, they seemed much closer than they usually were. "Okay, what's going on?" The fifteen year old's voice shook as she held her brother close.

"You didn't see the broadcast?" Kaitlyn asked, almost surprised.

"What broadcast? I've been in here this whole time, and you know they don't have T.V. in here. What's this about?" she demanded. Kaitlyn and Matt glanced at each other, then the niece stepped forward and grabbed the older girl's arm.

"Come on, Ranjo. Let's go to your house. Your mother must be hysterical right about now. Bring your brother, there's something you need to hear."

~District _~

A girl stalked out of her house, furious that her hysterical family was ignoring him. _No_, they were too all over the place and freaked to even think about him. She ran towards a large white building, her short dark brown-almost-black hair flowing behind her, hazel eyes narrowed in rage. She threw open the door of the building and went straight to the stairs, climbing three at a time. She didn't even take the time to notice that the lobby was empty, she just went straight to the third floor. When she got to the door she was looking for, the fifth door on the left, she slammed it open. The second the door opened she heard a quiet sobbing sound coming from the bed to her right, and she headed straight towards the sound.

"Sister...?" The boy in the bed asked, surprised. She inwardly rolled her eyes, _of course_ she was here. The rest of their family had each other to cling to. He needed someone to be there, too.

"Of course I'm here, idiot," she said gruffly. She didn't like all these mushy emotions going around ever since that announcement was broadcasted, but emotions like that were the stuff her younger brother needed, and if he needed it, she provided it. She held out her arms, and he crumpled into them, sobbing loudly.

"You're-" he cut off, then continued, "you're one of the small amount of girls of age in this district, and I don't- I don't want you to be a - a..." He stopped, unable to continue.

"Idiot brother of mine," she muttered in his ear. "You know I'm going to be the female tribute. I can't let our snarky, spoiled, fragile sisters go, and we're the only family that currently has girls from the age group. I'm just worried that they'll make you be my companion tribute as well." He pulled away and looked at her.

"As long as you're with me, I don't care whether or not I'm a tribute. You'll be there to protect me." He smiled at her, and she pulled him back into a hug, burying her face in his blonde hair.

"You stubborn, optimistic, foolish, son-of-a-bitch..." she muttered thickly. She wanted to tell him, remind him that these games don't turn out like they do in fairy tales. That he's sixteen and he has to stop thinking she can protect him, but she just couldn't. Not to the person who only had her to call his family.

~District _~

"Sis, it's time to come in now!" a boy called from the house. When he received no reply, he stalked out, heading towards the forest. He whistled, and a brown haired head popped out of nowhere.

"Hey, you came to get me!" the girl exclaimed happily. Her hazel eyes danced, and she ran to hug the turquoise-eyed boy. He ducked out of her way. "Aww..." she pouted.

"You're such an imbecile, you worthless twit," he sighed, nearly expressionless.

"What did I do wrong now?" she exclaimed. She was perplexed, and it wasn't just laced in her words, it was written across her face. Her brother surveyed her, surprised but refusing to show it.

"No one's told you yet?" He questioned, dryly. She shook her head, puzzled. Huh, that's surprising. All of her friends usually made sure she was the first to know everything. He walked up to his sister, with leaves in her hair and dirt on her hands and on the knees of her jeans, and unconsciously grabbed her hand. She was utterly surprised, but she smiled, completely happy, and squeezed his hand, holding it with both of hers.

"What's wrong?" She questioned, curious. He sighed, then brought her hands to eye level, comparing his older sister's hands to his own, infinitesimally larger ones. He didn't want to bring down her sunny smile, but he had no choice.

"There's something you missed... an announcement..." he trailed off, and was suddenly engulfed in a hug.

"Tell me later, once you've calmed down," her voice came from around him, enveloping in warmth. Slowly, hesitantly, he wrapped his hands around her.

"Okay." His voice seemed so small, and they held each other closer.

~District _~

A girl sat at a small, round table, sipping tea out of a porcelain teacup and brushing her strawberry-blonde hair out of her face. In the room with her was her mother, younger brother, and her uncle. She ignored all three of them.

"Stop thinking you're safe just because you admire the president!" Her uncle's voice broke through her barrier, and she set down her cup, glaring at him.

"He wouldn't make me, a loyal follower of his cause, a tribute in these games!" Her shrill voice pierced the room, and her mother and brother flinched.

Yes, yes he would, kid/honey," her uncle and mother spoke together, one annoyed and one whispering. Even her kid brother nodded in agreement.

"Well then, we'll see, won't we?" She replied snobbishly, and resumed sipping her tea.

~District _~

When the broadcast ended, an adolescent boy stood in his house, in the dark alone with his realizations. _Shit_, was all he had time to think before a ninety pound something hit him hard. Unsurprised, he wrapped his arms around his kid sister, feeling her deep, controlled breaths. He smirked when he realized how hard she was trying not to cry, but the smirk vanished quickly.

"Listen to me," he whispered, and she looked up at him, her huge eyes staring straight into his calm ones. "We both know that it's gonna be us. Whether it's fair or not, Kuonji will make sure of it," she nodded, already aware of it. "That's why we need to have the largest advantage possible," she shook, afraid of what he was implying, and he stroked her long, soft, raven hair. "Listen, we have to pretend. It's important. We have to pretend that we don't like each other, hate or fear each other or anything. That way, the other tributes will underestimate us, thinking we're two separate groups by ourselves. Do you understand?" When he received no reply, he pulled her away from him and bent to get down to eye-level. She really was much shorter than most children her age, something that could be considered either an advantage or disadvantage, depending on how you thought about it. "Do you understand me?" he said, more forcefully as he stared straight into her eyes. They were red from the effort of not crying, but not a tear had been shed and her whole attention was focused on him. She trembled, staring at him, then slowly nodded.

"I- I understand big brother," her soft voice cracked, and she threw her arms around him again. He kept quiet for awhile, then spoke his thoughts.

"It sucks that today has to be such a crappy day for you," he muttered, and she shook her head. She knew it was his way of apologizing, and she wouldn't accept an apology from him when it most certainly wasn't his fault.

"I don't care about that. This has always been one of my least favorite days of the year," and she buried her head in his chest. After all, it didn't matter to her that that day marked the end of her seventh year, meaning that she was now exactly eight. All it meant was they were both now legible to be tributes, a fact Kuonji most likely already made sure of. No one would save them from the event tomorrow, just like it had been since their mother had died, so long ago that the young girl had no memories of her. All they did was hold each other, knowing that when the sun rose in the morning, the performance would begin.

* * *

**A/N: Gosh... *scratches head* now I feel kind of mean... well, I basically introduced every person who would be tribute, but I did my best to not make it obvious which characters are where, and who they are. I'm planning on only having five OC's, and only three are really important. The OC's include Kaitlyn, Matthew, Ranjo, and two others I'll leave for you to guess. ;D**

**PM me if you think you know who's who (don't give me Persona, I GAVE you that one!), and if you liked it, please, review. I'd love to hear from you!**


	3. A Show of Defiance

**A/N: Okay, so... Here's the third chapter... I guess. Sorry, I'm just disappointed that no one has reviewed this story yet... Keep in mind that I'd love for any comments. So, this is the reaping, family visits, and the... short journey to the Capitol from the POV of the fourth OC character to be identified, the female tribute from District 2. ( BTW, she uses a lot of 'language')**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice, Vocaloid, or Hunger Games.**

_They're so hell-bent on giving _

_Walking a wire_

_Convinced it's not living _

_If you stand outside the fire _

_-Standing Outside the Fire by Garth Brooks_

I woke up feeling cranky and with a knot in my back. I sat up, totally disoriented, then realized where I was: the hospital. It had become a second home to me ever since I'd realized that no one else in the family cared about Kaname. From that point on, I've spent every moment I could spare with my sickly brother. Seventeen years I've spent alive now, and even though Kaname's only a year younger than me, he knows so little.

I took the chance with the bright sunlight streaming down to examine my little brother, sleeping peacefully. His pale blond hair was cut shoulder length like mine. He was pale, from so little sunlight, three hours a day outside at most. It was almost ironic, he was more physically similar to the rest of the family (our mother, brothers, and sisters), and even though I was the only one of us to take after Father, I was the one loved and he the ostracized one. Him with his fair skin, blond hair, and light brown eyes, and me with my dark chocolate hair, hazel eyes, and olive complexion, didn't look similar at all.

When I came to that conclusion for the millionth time in my life, I finally realized that Kaname was already up. He looked pretty freaked out, and he was really close to hyperventilating.

"What the hell is bothering you?" I asked irritably, stretching my sore limbs. I'd slept with my head on the bed, but the rest of my body was in a slumped sitting position. "Come to think of it," I added, curiously, "why was I sleeping here?" This was the first time in a while that I'd slept at the hospital. He looked at me, calming down in his surprise.

"Don't you remember?" He asked hesitantly. "The Quarter Quell? The reaping's today..." He trailed off as memories of yesterday suddenly rushed to my brain, jolting me awake and instantly causing me to spring to my feet. My senses went into overdrive, and I suddenly heard a sound that should've been audible a couple of seconds ago. Loud _thuds_, and they were getting nearer.

"Shit!" I cussed. Why didn't I hear them earlier? A loud pounding on the door caused Kaname to flinch. "Fuck off!" I yelled at them, standing between Kaname and the door. The pounding ceased, then a voice was heard.

"Miss Sono," the masculine voice sounded kinda surprised. I snorted, and the voice continued, "will you please come out with the invalid? It is mandatory that the both of you attend the reaping." I growled. They called me 'miss', but the only way they would address Kaname was by calling him 'the invalid'? What was _wrong_ with the mother-fuckers? If they had a brain to think for themselves and called us the way they should, it'd be Kaname they'd call 'sir'. They knocked again.

"Miss Mia?" A different voice called hesitantly, more feminine than the first, "your entire district is waiting for the reaping to begin, and it won't start without your brother or yourself." Seeing as this one was a tad more polite, I sighed, helping Kaname out of bed. He was a bit shaky, but I was pretty sure it was just nerves. Before I did what they wanted, though, I wanted revenge. He got dressed quickly as my revenge took place.

"Can the one who first addressed us open the door? We might need a bit of help. And the other one stand back please?" I winced when I had to say the 'p' word. I imagined them on the other side of the door, looking at each other, shrugging, then doing what I asked. Maybe one of them rolled their eyes. I smirked when I saw the doorknob turn.

I kicked open the door, smiling evilly when I heard the satisfying _Smack!_ of the door hitting the guy face-first. You'd think they knew me by now, I didn't exactly pretend to like peacekeepers. The guy had a bloody nose (in fact, it looked kinda broken), and the girl looked like a guppy. Neither of them could've been more than nineteen. Now I was the one who rolled my eyes. Walking past them, I went towards the elevator, Kaname trailing behind me.

"You might want to go downstairs to let a doctor have a look at that nose!" I called, snickering. Then I turned serious, looking at guppy-girl. "And you," I made sure they knew who I was talking to, "need to work on your reaction skills. Either stepping over to defend your ally, or stopping the enemy in their tracks would be better than standing there gaping like a fish. In a real fight, you'd both be dead by now because of your mistake." The elevator doors closed, leaving them to stare at no one.

Those peacekeepers had a point, though. We needed to hurry. To save time, I picked Kaname up and carried him under one arm, carrying him to the square where the entire district was waiting for us. They watched as I set him down, and walked to the roped-off area that only had four other girls, leaving Kaname to inch into the pen with seven other boys. Like Kaname had said last night, we were the only family with eligible girls, which meant we were the only family eligible at all. I calmed down my little sisters, and they seemed happy to see me, clinging like little monkeys. I smirked at the boys, and they all grinned back, momentarily forgetting what was about to happen. I ignored the woman standing near the back of the area between the roped-off spaces.

"Mia!" My sisters squealed my name, and the boys shouted it. The name passed to the others, and soon it was a wave. Some sighed it, some growled (honestly, I wasn't the nicest person to people outside my siblings), some whispered it, and some sobbed it (hey! looks like some people like me after all!). They all knew what was about to happen.

I turned my attention to the woman on stage, a pretty character, but she gave off the aura of a mystic. Serina Yamada had been pulling names for District 2 for three years now, and I'd decided she wasn't all that bad; for a Capitol person. My father disliked her, and that was good enough for me.

"Well," she spoke into the mic, sighing dramatically, "shouldn't take long this year, should it?" She was eyeing the single reaping ball, which only held thirteen pieces of paper. Five had a girl's name, and eight had a boy's name. One had my name, but I didn't particularly care. Five pieces of paper would be unnecessary, since whether I got pulled or not I'd still go. I wouldn't put my sisters into that kind of dangerous situation. "Might as well get on with it, then." Serina stated dryly. She stepped forward and put her hand into the ball, shuffling through them a bit, then pulling out a paper. _Here it comes. Please don't be him. Anyone but-_ "Kaname Sono." She read off the paper, and my heart dropped. _Damn fucking shit!_ As Kaname made his way to the stage, looking panicky but not shaking, my sisters started freaking out turned to the woman between the pens, the one I had been ignoring earlier, and lifted one of her eyebrows. "Who will accompany him?" she questioned, her eyes flitting to me then back. No doubt she had heard it when the crowd had been passing around my name like a sickness. I wouldn't meet her eyes, keeping eye contact with Kaname. A woman's voice spoke.

"The one who will accompany Kaname will be Trixie." Turning my head around so fast I got whiplash, I stared at the woman some people would call my mother in utter disbelief, then I recovered. Trixie, my ten-year-old sister had started forward, sobbing, and I wouldn't let that go. I stalked forward, gently tugging Trixie back, and shouted above the din that had started when the woman had called my sister's name.

"Overruled!" I shouted. "I volunteer as the female tribute for District 2. The Bitch's decision is overruled!" Then I swiftly made my way to the stage, feeling the entire district's eyes on me. When I was at the top with Yamada and Kaname, I stared defiantly at them. My brothers and sisters were crying, but the majority was staring at me in disbelief at the utter disrespect I had spoken. They probably couldn't believe I'd called my mother a bitch on real-time television. I shrugged, then looked at Yamada. She was gawking at me, so I rolled my eyes and snatched the mic from her loose grasp.

"My brother is Kaname Sono," I stated, gesturing towards him, "and my name is Mia." I spoke directly into the cameras, _obviously_. I wouldn't need to say that if I was talking to my district. "And keep in mind that if you try to give me some fucking girly nickname, I'll personally come find you and cut your tongue out." I was dead serious. I handed the mic back to Yamada, who had recovered enough to quickly blurt, "And so you have the tributes for District 2!" Peacekeepers came up and dragged Kaname and I into the district building.

I sat in a dark blue room, approximately 16' by 18' and appreciating the non- crowded feeling, seeing as it's usually opposite from the feeling I usually get in a single room that isn't mine. I was currently sitting on the best chair I could find that wasn't too stiff or too soft- a beanbag. It wasn't bad at all actually, and I'd preoccupied myself with how I would've redecorated the room if it had been up to me, when the door slammed open, and eleven bodies came tumbling in.

"Mia!" They all sobbed, amusingly in sync, but then it went out of control.

"They can't do this to you! To us!"

"We _need_ you!"

"I'll go if you'll stay!"

"Mia, _please_, you can't just leave us behind with Mother!" Their overlapping voices were now shouting, fighting to be heard. I'd had enough.

"Shut up and sit down!" I barked, and they instantly shut up and dropped to their butts on the floor. I glanced at the clock: a minute and a half left. I stared at them, sizing them up. "Now, I _know_ I didn't raise you to act this way, freaking out when you need to stay calm." I scolded. Some bowed their heads, but others stared straight back at me. Trixie burst into tears.

"M-Mia," she choked out. "I don't want to be the reason you have to go!" I smiled slightly at her, then my gaze swept the room.

"None of this is Trixie's fault." I started, looking them in the eye one by one. "I don't want you all to take this out on her. I'd already decided yesterday that I would be the female tribute. I can't very well let one of my baby sisters go instead, and I knew that whichever brother that was chosen would need my protection. So you better be nice while I'm gone, okay?" The mood was heavy, but they all looked at me, solemnly nodding. "Good. Be happy and I'll be happy. You'll see me on the big screen!" I tried to cheer them up as the peacekeepers came to tell them that their three minutes were up. Before anyone could blink, they all rushed to me, hugging me from all directions.

"We love you Mia."

"Mia, stay strong."

"Never be anyone but our Mia, okay?"

"Do your best to come back to us alive."

"I won't cry because I know we'll be safe."

"We'll be with you every step of the way." The assorted muffled whispers of my younger siblings floated up to me, then they all let go and trudged out the door. I blinked, disconcerted at the sudden onslaught of phrases, when a lone figure came through the door. A woman. I snapped out of my reverie immediately.

"How could you even _consider_ sending Trixie?" I snarled at her, jumping to my feet, hands automatically balling into fists. She stared at me with ugly, pale brown eyes, blond hair hanging limply down past her ears, and burst into loud sobs. If it had been one of my siblings, I would've rushed to them and patted their heads, calming them down. But as she was who she was, all I felt was disgust.

"M-Mi-Mia," the woman who was more than double my age sobbed. I regarded her with cold eyes. "You know I can't handle them alone!" she pleaded. "I can't take care of all of them, you know better than I do how unprepared I was without help!" I did know. The way I'd been raised was affected by that problem of hers. It's her fault that the only mother figure all my younger siblings had was me. She was more the incompetent aunt, twittering uselessly. The only way she was 'mother' to them was it was her name- the way they addressed her. I snorted in derision.

"Since when have you started caring about them?" I inquired harshly. "I didn't see you care when Kaname was diagnosed with myositis when he was a kid. He was too young to remember any love he might've ever gotten from you then. But once he was diagnosed, you abandoned him like a piece of trash, not worth your time. Then, you stopped caring _at all_. You couldn't have cared less when Tristan got a fever, and you helped us in no way financially when we had to pay for vaccines for HFMD when it was going around. How _could_ you say you started caring _now_?" I was shouting now, and she was shrinking, cringing at every word. "Well?"

"..." She muttered something that I couldn't make out through her hands and tears.

"Speak up!" I barked at her, treating her like a kid. She looked at me between the gaps in her fingers, Her eyes were completely red.

"After Kaname...," her voice broke and I crossed my arms, unimpressed. "I couldn't bring myself to care about anymore of the children... I didn't want to care about another one that was diagnosed with a disease." I had quite a hard time stopping myself from strangling her.

"You say his name like he himself is the disease, not the victim." My disgust was impossible to miss. I couldn't even bring myself to be surprised. The peacekeepers came to get her, and she moved toward them without hesitation. In a flash, I realized that wherever Kaname was then, he wouldn't be having any visitors. He probably didn't even expect them. I hated it, knowing how powerless I was in that aspect. I couldn't _force_ people to like him, not in this district where it's nearly mandatory to be battle-ready at any given moment. "Hey," I called after her. She paused, turning her tear-stained face toward me with a hopeful expression on her face. "I just wanted you to know... You are a coward. You aren't capable of compassion if it bit you on the ass." It was a bit coarse, but it got my message across just fine. As the doors closed, I heard a keening wail, getting farther as she left the building.

When the door opened again, I was still seeing red. When I registered who it was, I quickly fixed my appearance, standing erect with no emotion on my countenance, or whatever it was called. It was what was expected of me, when _this_ monster came into the room.

"Head peacekeeper, sir." I acknowledged, bowing stiffly. I _really_ did not like this man. He smirked cooly at me.

"No need to be so formal, especially in this situation. Besides, I can tell how disrespectful you're unintentionally trying to make those words sound." The words rolled off of his mouth like liquid honey, and he sounded as shifty as a snake. He looked me up and down, surveying me with familiar eyes. "No reply? Pity."

"I meant no disrespect... _Father_." I spoke with a detached sort of feeling, but I was staring him down. I'd learned what it was like to be rude to _him_. If Mother was a coward, he was a mother-fucking asshole. He glanced back at the door.

"I notice you finally broke your mother," he stated. If I had been showing emotions, I would've been glaring balefully at him. _And I notice that you don't seem to mind. Don't you care about her, _sir_?_ But, no, I couldn't say that to him. Not anywhere, never. I fixed my eyes on the wall, deliberately avoiding the ancient-seeming eyes that looked so damn similar to mine.

"She was... angering me, sir," I finally admitted.

"Obviously," he surveyed me with a cold stare. I didn't need to look at him to confirm it, I could feel it, freezing my nerves. "To be honest, you did the same for me today." My whole body went rigid. My mind raced; _What had I done that could've angered him?_

"H-How, sir?" I choked out, feeling terribly weak under the stare of the man who had disciplined me all my life. I hated this feeling, hated it even more than Mother. He chuckled without humor.

"You know very well that the rebellion is going to occur during the Hunger Games. I believe I've already informed that I was intending to put you as second-in-command of the district. How will you be able to take that position if you are playing the martyr?" My eyebrows furrowed. No, I hadn't forgotten, but I hadn't thought he was serious. Besides, he had told me that before the announcement, when there would've been plenty of volunteers. He couldn't be serious. "How do you think that makes me look? Throwing away that position as if it was no more than an undesirable option?" This time he wasn't looking for an answer. He stalked towards me, and I couldn't bear to watch him use that gait I use everyday when I want to intimidate. I looked at the clock (it had to have been three minutes already!), but then I realized how foolish that was. He was the head peacekeeper. He could ask for triple the amount of time allotted and no one would dare to question it. He stopped when he was right in front of me, only a couple of inches taller. He stared straight into my eyes, no emotion whatsoever.

"Your mother was right to choose your sister, you know." I stared at him, disbelief overriding fear. He didn't wait for me to say anything. "We need the strongest we can get in this war. Your sister was partially showing signs of that disease from before, and I pointed it out to Kristin. Now's the best time to get rid of the weak links, throw the garbage out. God knows that we needed to get rid of that invalid sooner rather than later." No hesitation stopped me in this moment; I had nothing to lose. I released a war cry, quickly followed by every word I could think of.

"You ass-wipe!" I pounced at him, knocking him down, when he tried to get up and failed, panic laced his eyes. He hadn't expected his words to ignite this kind of insane fury. I kept him pinned, pummeling him in every direction. "Mother fucking cock-sucker! Shitty cunt! Bloody _prick_! I'm not related to you! None of us are! You are a sadistic faggot and have no right to call yourself a human!" I screamed as many profanities as I possibly could, using words I'd heard, searched, or even some I didn't know.

When three peacekeepers came storming in, out of breath and partially confused, they were deafened by my now-hoarse shouts, and stood witness to their captain being beaten by his daughter. _Father_ already had a broken nose, a bloody lip, black eye, and deep finger nail furrows down the side of his left cheek. Even the eye that wasn't bruised was now made useless, my nails having pierced it beyond repair. It was amazing, the damage that could be done during the time confusion swept in. I managed to crush a rib, and put as much pressure on his left leg as possible. Before I managed to break it, however, all three peacekeepers rushed over, pulling me off of him. I continued screaming profanities, maybe a little less harsh, seeing as I was running out. Four other peacekeepers came in, and tried to help him onto his feet. He shoved them away, then staggered to his feet, glaring hatefully at me. I stopped shouting at the look of utter hatred that I had never seen on his face before. But I didn't regret a second of it. Blood poured out of his nose, and it dripped out of his ruined right eye. I began loving the color of blood as I surveyed the damage, admiring the way he no longer resembled me in the slightest. He took a menacing step toward me, but I was no longer afraid. Adrenaline coursing through my veins, giving me that invincible feeling that was so dangerous. His men stopped him.

"Head peacekeeper, sir. You need to go to the hospital. You need to have someone look at your wounds." He glared at the speaker, then winced when he realized that I had managed to get more than one rib in my last-minute delirium. He nodded stiffly, walking towards the door, stopping to call his threat.

"You little _bitch_." He spoke with maximum venom. "You will regret this. I will make sure you feel this pain." He left, and the peacekeepers holding me threw me down onto the beanbag, following him out the door. _Not likely._ The last thing Father heard from me was a maniacally giddy laugh, devoid of any sanity for the time of relish.

That delirium hadn't lasted much longer, seeing as the danger had gone elsewhere. About five minutes after Father left, I sank to my knees in exhaustion, the adrenaline drained away with the last of my strength, and I felt so tired. This was almost as bad as that time when Father had designed my training session on my fourteenth birthday. Trust me, you don't even _want_ to know. Wearily, I got up and opened the door; it slammed shut immediately.

"Miss Mia!" A voice barked on the other side of the door. "We are sorry for this (they didn't so sorry), but you have been deigned 'dangerous' by the chief. Therefore, you are not allowed to leave until visiting time is over, for the safety of the citizens." I rolled my eyes, but didn't really feel like arguing.

"If that's the only problem, then can you take me to the bathroom? I need to wash my hands and under my nails. I think I still have skin under them." I could almost feel their shuddering, but I knew they couldn't deny me this. The door slowly creaked open, and a lone peacekeeper nervously stepped into the room I had grown quite fond of over the last fifteen minutes or so. Just by looking at him, I could tell he was scared crapless of the possibility of getting the same treatment as my Father. He glanced at my hands and the floor and I saw him shudder as he saw the remnants of my psychotic break-down.

"We-We," he stuttered, trying but failing to pull his eyes away from the mess, "we require for you to consent to wearing these," he shakily held up a pair of handcuffs, "before we can allow you out of your room." I snorted at this and he flinched- he actually _flinched_! What happened to bravery among the keepers of the peace, or whatever bullshit Father spouted whenever he was home (which wasn't often)? I surveyed him, and he was shivering, not even attempting to cover it up.

"Soldier," I broke the silence suddenly, " What command squad are you from, and what rank?" Hopefully, this would answer my question.

"You are not authorized..." His shivering voice trailed off at my glare. "Command Squad 2, Recruit..." he admitted, and my eyes widened considerably. _Damn_, I totally lost all of my 'second-in-command' privileges. If Father had recruits guarding the door, even if they were from 2 and not the lowest, 13, he must've have taken any title I'd earned. I sighed, running my hand through my tangled hair. It's not like it mattered much, where I was going, but still: _low blow, dude._ I'd _earned_ every single one of those achievements, and having them stripped away from me like that was just _wrong._ I looked at the guy, who was still holding up the handcuffs, and grudgingly held my wrists out. He eyed them warily, like they were about to start snacking on him.

"What?" I asked, annoyed. I didn't want to admit defeat for more than necessary. He glanced at me, and I huffed. "I still need to get the fucking dried blood off, and I don't exactly want the cameras' first shot of me have blood and skin caked under my nails." He winced, then quickly handcuffed me, leading me out where there were three other peacekeepers. Obediently, I was escorted to the bathroom by all the peacekeepers. I cleaned my entire lower arm, from elbow to fingertip. I may now like the color of blood, but it was more russet, not blood red. Besides, that gross, drying feeling made me feel like a murderer or something. I even went so far as to cut my nails, leaving barely enough of the white part to make sure it doesn't bleed. Completely blood-free on my outer layer, I was led back to my room. Before they closed the door, I had something to tell them.

"You know," I conveyed, as if I was confiding something, "I'm not going to have anymore visitors. Even if any more _would've _shown up, they won't now. And I'll bet Kaname never had any visitors, so you might as well just let us leave now." I was getting sick of being dragged around and escorted like a criminal. They hesitated, but I knew the truth hit home. One of them left for a minute, then quickly returned with orders to let us start making my way to the station where we would board the train that would take Kaname and I to the Capitol. I cheerfully waved goodbye to the group of peacekeepers, thank the gods that was over with. Kaname and I met up, and he seemed really happy to see me. I pushed down the urge to run over to him and check for injuries; the peacekeepers escorting him would probably see that as an act of violence or something, so I just smirked at him.

We got in a car, and we made our way to the station. Kaname started asking questions, probably intending to ask why I looked so clean or why peacekeepers had been sent to guard his door not long before we left, but I stopped him every time, glancing suspiciously at the driver. When we got out of the car, there were cameras everywhere. And I _mean __everywhere__._ I couldn't look anywhere eye-level or higher without seeing a camera. When I glanced over the never-ending line of cameras, I saw a T.V. I rolled my eyes and flipped the bird, enjoying the increased amount of flashing at this. Kaname and I boarded the train, and the doors closed, leaving the countless cameras behind. Serena came out, escorting two of the veterans of the hunger games: Shidou and Redhead. I didn't bother learning her name.

"We will arrive in the capitol in a couple of hours, and dinner is in thirty minutes, so you'd better get ready." Serena led us to our rooms, and I went into mine, thankful for the chance to change out of my crap outfit I'd had on for two days straight. I got out of my room after giving my hair a quick wash and brushing. The dinner wasn't all that impressive; sure they had more variety, but it made it look like they were trying too hard. Didn't stop me from eating, though I _did_ tend to prefer the newer foods. When the silent dinner ended, I flopped into an armchair in front of the television, turning it on immediately so I wouldn't miss anything. Everyone joined me almost instantly; Kaname took the armchair closest to me and Serena took the one farthest. I didn't take offence, I knew that if she hadn't she would've wound up with a couch partner, a fact that Shidou and Redhead didn't seem to appreciate. On the T.V. they were just finishing up the intro that they read before every interview. When they were done, I had a lot to take in.

District 1: A total bitch teenager was chosen. Ugh, what an annoying chick. She was so surprised she was in a total state of disbelief and walked onto the stage without any protest, which wasn't my problem with her. Her mother was asked who would accompany her, and a younger boy who could be the chick's bro broke down, like he was positive it would be him. At that point, I was kinda expecting the kid to be picked, but then another guy from the boys' section stepped forward and locked eyes with the mother. The mother said she chose a guy named Narumi, her brother, and the guy from before (not the kid) walked to the stage. They were asked to introduce themselves, and guy-blondie said he was Narumi Anjo and that the glassy-eyed, strawberry-blond chick was his niece, Luna Koizumi. That was when the loud mouth opened her mouth. She started spouting crap about how the President would never allow this; that she was a loyal supporter _blah-blah-blah_. Bitch. The peacekeepers had to drag her off the stage.

District 2: Not much to say, except that it was _quite_ entertaining to see it in third person, not just from my eyes. All I noticed was that Father was standing off to the side. He smirked when Mother called Trixie's name, but anger flashed across his face when I volunteered.

District 3: This one was rather interesting. It was the first time so far that there was only one possible person to accompany. A girl with short black hair and amethyst eyes walked to the stage when she was picked, no emotion whatsoever on her face. Immediately, a teenage boy with the same features as her moved forward to the podium. They introduced themselves as the Imai siblings, Hotaru and Subaru. Interestingly enough, though: no matter how similar they were, it was obvious they weren't very close.

District 4: A fragile girl with ice blue hair, a pretty face, and soft blue eyes was chosen, and she cried as she walked to the podium. The surprising part: her partner. When she had been called, two boys, one older and one younger than her, huddled closer in fear. But it was the _guardian_ who accompanied her. Turns out that this Rei Serio was eighteen years old, not the early 20's he looked. He was her uncle, a large man with black hair and eyes (quite handsome, actually). The no-longer-crying girl (she was still tearing a bit, though) was introduced as Nobara Ibaragi.

District 5: An eighteen year old named Reo Mōri was called up to stage, and he didn't seem all that bothered, just a bit shocked, like he wasn't expecting _that_ to happen. He was followed by a teenage girl who was his aunt; Shizune Yamanouchi. She went without prompting, seeing as Reo's mom and Shizune's sister (same person, _duh_) was having hysterics. Reo's hair was short and red, though more of a dark auburn or something, and he had purple eyes. Shizune's appearance was quite similar to his (seems like he took after his mother's side), with the same color hair and eyes. The difference was that she had glasses and longer hair; not to mention the professional aura that hovered around her.

District 6: A wimpy girl with pink hair and eyes was picked, crying and whimpering and... well, you get the idea. A man with purple hair pulled into a ponytail followed her, shouting crap similar to that bitch from District 1. Their names were Luka and Gakupo Megurine.

District 7: A girl with black hair, dark eyes, and a shell-shocked expression ascended the stage, and it wasn't _really_ funny until the one who accompanied showed up. He was the complete physical opposite (besides the fact that he looked like a transvestite, so feminine), with strawberry blond hair down to his shoulders and blue-gray eyes, but he still managed to have the exact same expression. Their names were Yuri and Rui Miyazono, and they were siblings.

District 8: This district had the most shocking tributes so far. When one name was called, two people walked up together, a pair of 14-year-olds by the looks of them, but the strangest part was that... they didn't look like different people at all. They were mirror images, with flaxen blond hair and bright blue eyes, holding hands as they approached the stage. Their only difference was their hair: the girl's was shoulder length and loose, with a bow tied around her head, the ends sticking straight up, and the boy's was in a low ponytail. They informed us of their names in perfect sync, which sent shivers down my spine: Rin and Len Kagamine.

District 9: This district wasn't nearly as impressive. Theirs was similar to District 7, except at least that one had colorful language. The tributes were a sixteen year-old girl with cyan hair and eyes, and her hair was seriously long in ponytails. She sobbed as a man about my age my age led her to the stage. He was her fellow tribute, her brother with darker blue hair and eyes. I guess he was handsome, but too pretty-boy, really. They were the Hatsune siblings, Miku and Kaito.

District 10: A distraught boy with blond hair and blue eyes was called, something he didn't seem all that happy about. He stumbled on his way to the stage, and a girl ran out from the girl's section. She had dirty-blond hair, but they had the same eyes. He was blushing, totally red as he was being helped up, and together they made their way to the stage. The boy was still embarrassed as he introduced himself as Ruka Nogi, and the girl next to him, looking like she couldn't quite believe exactly what was happening, said she was his older sister, Ranjo. She also blurted their ages (12 and 15), and I snickered at her senseless exclamation.

District 11: District 11's pair was kind of depressing. So far, there hadn't been any tributes that were younger than the original age limit (12-18) but here's for the 'first time for everything'. The boy called couldn't be more than ten, but he managed to keep a stoic face. Before he managed to even get to the podium, a girl jumped the rope of the girls' area, running to join him. I raised my eyebrows in amusement; _damn_ that girl looks seriously young too, but I could also tell that she was older. Not by body proportions (he was actually a bit taller than her), but the way she looked around, like she was trying to figure out how to protect her little brother from everyone there. I knew _that_ look all too well, and I realized it was no longer amusing. The boy gave a small tug on her hand, giving her a small, sad smile. _Come on, we'd better get up there_, he seemed to say. Her shoulders slumped, and they walked to the podium, hand in hand. I studied them with a serious face: the girl had long, light-brown hair held in pigtails, and sad, hazel eyes. The boy had light gray hair and blue eyes, his stoic expression back. They were introduced as Yōichi and Mikan Sakura. Yōichi was nine, and Mikan was twelve. I couldn't think of it as funny anymore.

District 12: If the last district had been depressing, and District 3 had the most oddly acting pair, I had a topper. For the second time, it was the older sibling/relative that was picked, but this time it was so much more obvious. He looked very serious, but his dark raven hair obscured his eyes. He was looked the same age as that Mikan character, 12, but he seemed to carry the air of someone my age... or _older_. It took awhile for someone to join him, not for indecision of who would go, but because the sibling didn't seem to be willing... no way... the sister didn't seem to be willing to admit she was his sister, or something. When she was pushed forward, I had involuntarily gulped. Gods, and I thought the _twelve-year-old_ was small for her age! This little girl looked like she could easily pass for six, much less eight at least! She walked towards the stage with her head down, her long raven hair just like her brother's covering her eyes... just like her brother's. When she was at the top, the siblings seemed weirdly... to be _shunning_ each other or something. They avoided each other's very presence, and seemed to involuntarily flinch whenever the other shifted or made the slightest movement. When they were asked for their names, they waited a while to respond. Then, one after the other, they muttered their names to the announcer.

"And so we have The Hyūgas, Natsume and Scarlet!" They looked up, almost as one, and eyes the exact same shade of my new favorite color stared right through the camera at me, two pairs of blood-red eyes with very intelligent expressions looking at anyone who dared to watch them.

It was only long after the show that I realized that neither of them seemed surprised in the slightest when they were going up or were on the stage. Not the 'not surprised' like hiding their emotions, like that stoic nine-year-old, but 'not surprised' like... they knew they were going to be the ones going to the games. It took me a long time to fall asleep that night.

**A/N: Wow... I'm done... That took an amazingly long amount of time compared to what I was expecting. So, Yay! You finally who's in which district! You also know which is the last OC character. And no, just because I support MxN, I'm not going to have any romance in this fanfiction. **

**The diseases mentioned were just grabbed from the internet. And, pretty, pretty, pretty please review? I really want to know what you guys think!**

******Edit: Well, I don't know if you guys know this or not, but I have two stories. And both are quite complicated and leave me drained at the end of the day because I'm planning them. So, I figure, I might as well use polls to my advantage, right? I'm putting this at the bottom of my most recent chapters for both stories, and I want you guys to give me your input. I notice that not many of you have reviewed (Thank you ohsoverymuch 'Guest' and Mochabelle33 for reviewing An Unimaginable Occurence :D), but that's okay. But, it would be nice to know which of my stories my readers prefer, so, please just make a fast click at my name at the top there, choose what you want in the poll, and be on your merry way! It'll help me to update the story in question faster...**


End file.
